Gluten-free Flourless Fudge Cookies taste rich and fudgy - like the edge of a brownie! And the cookies have less than 70 calories each! 
These flourless chocolate cookies are light and crisp at the edges, like meringue cookies. The centers are rich and fudgy like a brownie. And at 68 calories each, these cookies are lighter than most cookies.
Also, they don't take much time to make. Since they're made in one bowl and there's so butter to soften, I can get these cookies made in about 5 minutes. So, from start to finish, these cookies take less than 15 minutes to make!
How To Make Flourless Fudge Cookies
Whisk the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Add the egg whites and vanilla and whisk in until just combined.
Stir in the chocolate chips just until incorporated. Scoop tablespoonfuls of the batter and place about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.
Bake until the tops are lightly cracked and glossy, about 8-10 minutes. Oven temperatures vary, so your baking time may vary.
Tips
Tips - Mixing: These cookies will have meringue-like edges but soft, fudgy centers. Mixing by hand helps to get the proper consistency. Whipping the eggs will give you a meringue-like cookie without the fudgy centers.
- Egg whites: I've made this recipe dozens of times, and I always use 4 egg whites. However, some people have found that they have better luck with 3 egg whites and other people have found that the recipe works better as written. You may want to start with 3 egg whites, and add the 4th egg white if needed.
- Extracts: You can swap out the vanilla extract with another flavor, like peppermint, to change up the flavor of the cookies.
- Consistency: The cookies will be thin. The edges are crisp, the middles are soft. The batter is thin and isn't like a traditional thick cookie dough.
- If you want a thicker chocolate cookie, try my Brownie Cookie recipe instead. If you're looking for a softer, chewier gluten-free cookie with add-ins, this is the recipe you want.
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Flourless Fudge Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3-4 large egg whites1
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract2
- ½ cup semisweet mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar with cocoa powder and salt.
- Stir in the vanilla and egg whites.
- Whisk just until the batter is moistened.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop the batter by the tablespoonful onto the baking sheets. The batter will be thin. Leave enough space between each cookie for them to spread (about 2 ½” of space between each cookie).
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the tops are glossy and lightly cracked.
- Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet, and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Video
Notes
- Some people have found that they have better luck with 3 egg whites and other people have found that the recipe works better with 4. You may want to start with 3 egg whites, and add the 4th egg white if needed.
- You can swap out part or all of the vanilla for other extracts and flavorings, like peppermint, to change up the flavor.
- Nutrition facts have been estimated.
Nutrition Information
Originally published 6/3/12. Updated with new photos and tips 1/7/19.
Adapted from chocolateandcarrots.com
KATHY M SHARP
I have made these cookies for yrs. They are simply wonderful. I was just wondering if there is a vanilla version? Can I just leave cocoa powder out?
Thanks so Much
Kate
Hi! I'm so glad that you've been enjoying the cookies! I have a coconut almond version, but, unfortunately, I've never tried to make a vanilla version.
Grace Fuller
I used powdered swerve instead of sugar so maybe that changed it, but mine did not turn out well. The batter was much thicker than I expected and it never cracked or glossed over in the oven. After 10 minutes I took them out because the egg on top was beginning to fry. I'm not sure what went wrong. I do think I'll try them again but I'll use sugar next time and see if that makes them good.
Kate
First, thanks for sharing that powdered swerve doesn't work well in this recipe! I get questions about subs like that, and it's helpful to hear the subs that work and the subs that don't. Unfortunately, any time that you make a change like that in a baking recipe it can affect how it turns out. Sugar substitutes tend to act differently in recipes than regular sugars, and they usually require other changes to the recipe. I'm not sure if you saw the photos that show what the batter should look like, but it should be pretty thin. Also, if there was egg on top, it sounds like it needed to be mixed better (maybe it was difficult to mix because it was thick?).
Rachel
Does it work the same if I cut this recipe in half?..
Kate
I haven't halved the recipe, but I've heard from people who have. They've said that it worked well for them.
Nikki
These were delicious but something went terribly wrong! I used 3 large egg whites and the batter was crumbly so I added one more and it moisten everything but was so thick it was the consistency of fudge. My eggs were a little old so maybe that impacted it? Absolutely delicious but however I messed it up made it so thick and hard to scoop and only made 23 cookies. Will definitely make again sigh fresh eggs and see if that changes anything.
Kate
That's too bad! If you'd like any help troubleshooting, please let me know!
Bethany Bryant
Did some tweaking paid attention to my grade size eggs 3 worked fine for large eggs and measured out by teaspoon . my oven runs hot so cook time down 5 min
Kate
Glad that it worked out well for you!
Destiny
Love this recipe, thank you! I made it twice. First turned out delicious, 2nd I substituted powdered Swerve a d they actually turned out good too! The texture is a little different but once it cools, it’s like a cookie bark. Yum!
Kate
Thank you so much! =)
Jenn
Is powdered sugar the same as icing sugar?
Kate
It is! It's also called confectioner's sugar.
isabella
how much of cocoa and powdered sugar?
Kate
Hi! If you click on "jump to recipe" at the top of the page, it will take you right to the recipe with all of the ingredients and instructions.
Bethia Rubinstein
If we don't use choc chips will they still be firm enough?
Kate
It's more of a batter-like consistency. There are photos of the unbaked cookies, so you can see what it should look like. The number of egg whites will be what determines how thick or firm the cookies turn out.
Britney
They are a big win at my house! Thank you for the easy & delicious recipe!
Kate
Thank you so much! I'm glad that you liked the cookies. =)
Kendall
Recipe is good. Extremely chocolatey. Make sure you use enough eggs or else cookies will come out flat and not crispy. Make sure they are glossy in outside before you take them out of the oven.
Kate
Thanks! It sounds like you're recommending to follow the recipe, which is always a good choice the first time through. =)
Jooya
my cookies were too flat, couldnt take them out either
the underside was sticking to the mat, maybe i was supposed to add butter under the nonstick mat?
Kate
Hi! The recipe calls for greasing the baking mat with nonstick spray. Did you do that?
dave
any comments on subbing the powdered sugar with powered monk fruit??
Cindy
Total failure. Used 4 egg whites upon recommendation. Didn't hold up and were just too thin. Very dissappointed. Took them to our annual Christmas Cookie Bake. Bummer!
Kate
That is a bummer! This is why it's important to read through the entire recipe before you begin. Both above the recipe and in the recipe notes it says to start with three egg whites and add a 4th as necessary. Sounds like 3 would have worked better for you.
Lindsay
What temperature do we bake them at?
Kate
Hi! You bake the cookies at 350F.
Ang
They look like brownies!!
Kate
Thank you! =)
ams
Made these today, as others said, the batter is very very loose if you use 4 egg whites. The original recipe is also incredibly sweet, which you should expect from the ingredients going in.
If you did commit to 4 egg whites and are now working with a loose and very sweet batter, you can add another 1/4 cup of cocoa powder, that helped me get to a more scoopable consistency and the final result is similar to the picture above. The cocoa also cuts through some of the sweetness.
The end result, after adding the additional cocoa powder was pretty good, with a brownie gooeyness in the middle. I do think that this recipe could be better if the quantities were in grams instead of cups...with baking, cups have very different results, which may be where the issue comes from in this recipe.
Kate
Thank you for your notes! I've been working back through my recipes to add measurements in grams and plan to add those measurements to this recipe as well.
Laurel
I made these with 3 egg whites instead of 4 and about 2/3 of the vanilla (the last of the bottle), and made them a bit smaller than yours (I got 42 cookies instead of 34). Baked for 8 minutes, and some of them needed the extra 2ish minutes to not be mushy in the middle.
My roommates loved them, but they're a little too sweet for my taste. Do you think I could substitute some of the powdered sugar for more cocoa powder?
Kate
I'm glad to hear that they worked out! I think it might. I would probably start with a smaller amount, maybe 1/4 cup cocoa powder and see how it turns out. Good luck! =)
Jen
Fantastic! Cookies were great. Thanks!
Kate
Thank you! I'm glad you liked them! =)
Laura
Complete fail. Gooey thin and don't hold up! Most other flourless have egg whites and 1 egg, and cornstarch. They fold in the whipped egg whites. Thus recipe is missing something. Batter tastes great but can't serve that.
HELEN ELLIOTT
Read the notes on King Arthur web site. They recommend MEASURING your egg whites and give lotuses of info on what to avoid. I've made these for years for events. They are deliciously habit-forming, And just Happen to be
gluten free. Our local bakery makes large one that sell for $5.00. each. Con't give up. You can do this.
Kate
Thank you!